All in All, the Film Was Good and I Would Like to See It Again

RECENZJE

ROMEO AND JULIET

„Romeo and Juliet” is an adaptation of William Shakepeare’s drama. The main characters are Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Juliet (Claire Danes).

The film, made in 1996, is set in Vera Cruz. It was directed by Baz Luhrmann. The music was made by Nellee Hooper.

The plot of the film is the same as the plot of Shakespeare’s drama, but the ending is different. The film presents the story Romeo and Juliet in modern times.

In my opinion the plot of the film is quite good. The director did a good job making the film. However, the music was not as good as the screenplay. The only thing that I did not like was Romeo. I think Leonardo DiCaprio was not good in his part. To me he played as if it was his first time in front of the camera.

All in all, the film was good and I would like to see it again.

Paweł Charkowski, kl. II b

OTHELLO

The film is the sixth screen version of William Shakespeare’s drama „Othello”, written in 1604. Othello was a Moorish commandant on Venetian duty. He sets out on expedition against Turkey. His young wife, Desdemona – a daughter of a respectable Venetian aristocrat – travels with him. As a result of intrigues of a young warrant officer – Iago – Othello kills his wife and commits suicide. The plot is interesting and exciting, though there are too many monologues.

The film was made by Oliver Parker in 1995. Parker is a magnificent director and film producer. He was the first who entrusted an Afro-American with the title role of Othello. There were many fantastic actors in the film: Lawrence Fishburne as Othello, Irene Jacob as Desdemona, Kenneth Branagh as Iago and Nathaniel Parker as Cassio.

This is first of all the story about passion, jealousy, betrayal and crime. Shakespeare’s text was shortened down a half, because the film producer wanted the film to last two hours.

“Othello” is not addressed only to enthusiasts of the drama, but rather to the mass audiences for whom reading may not be a favourite pastime. The music by Charlie Mole is fantastic and adds a lot to the atmosphere. Also, the art direction is excellent, for example the design of Othello and Desdemona’s bedroom which was artistically decorated with an embroidered canopy.

I think that it was a wonderful screen version of Shakespeare’s drama. Fishburne was very creative in his part. I suppose that the director deliberately used depressing colours like grey, brown and black to make us feel sad for the characters. The film was great, though I think that the screenwriters should throw away several monologues which added nothing to the plot.

Karolina Haracz, kl. II b

MACBETH

„Macbeth” is a drama which was written by a very famous English playwright – William Shakespeare.

On Thursday our class watched the adaptation of “Macbeth”. It was a black-and-white movie. The leading role was played by the director – Orson Welles. Janet Molan played Lady Macbeth. On the one hand, the main characters were very well played, but on the other, good actors are not enough when you want to make a good film.

In my opinion, the setting was awful. When I was reading “Macbeth” I tried to imagine the castle where the action took place. After the film I was disappointed because the castle was so different! I think that it looked more like a “huge cave”!

The story is set in England and Scotland in the 11th century. It is about a man (Macbeth) who wants to be the king. He kills people who stand in his way. He is cruel and ready to do anything to gain power and glory.

“Macbeth” is a universal story. It shows human vices – greed and ambition. I think it is an interesting drama and everyone should know it, but I recommend the play more than the film, because the play is deeper and has better atmosphere.

Jolanta Job, kl. II c

MACBETH

On the 19th October I watched „Macbeth”. It was a very long, black-and-white old film. I think it was very difficult it shoot, because there were so many emotions that had to be shown. Actors were great, however, as I said before, it was black-and-white, so many elements of the scenery were too dark to be seen.

I am not fond of this kind of movie art, so I did not like it as much as I would, if it were made in colour.

However, I loved the characters, especially Lady Macbeth – she was so determined and ruthless. The actress that played her showed all her cruelty, though it could not have been an easy task.

The actor who played Macbeth was also very good. In Shakespeare’s drama Macbeth is not sure what he wants from life. After the conversation with Lady Macbeth, he becomes a monster and with no remorse kills his beloved King Duncan. After that tragedy he becomes the king, but he wants to get rid of his rivals to be sure that no one and nothing can stop him from having absolute power. This provokes next murders. His wife goes insane and finally commits suicide. In the end Macduff (Duncan’s son) kills Macbeth.

I recommend this film to people who like old black-and-white films. If you are fond of Shakespeare’s drama, you will also like its adaptation.

Monika Łukasik, kl. II c

OPOWIADANIA

ANNA NIECKARZ

ROMEO & JULIET 20 YEARS LATER

Romeo woke up. He was feeling strange but he didn’t know why. Suddenly he saw Juliet. She was lying next to him and wasn’t moving. He gazed at her for a while as she was sleeping. Romeo shook her gently and then he understood. It was twenty years since they had tried to kill themselves. They had been only sixteen years old when it happened. He realized that twenty years before he had woken up equally confused and exhausted. He simply couldn’t distinguish reality from his dreams. Then he noticed a beautiful young girl - Juliet. She lay unconscious as if fatally wounded. He looked around trying to remember what had happened. ‘The man who sold me the poison must have cheated me,’ he thought. ‘I should have died but somehow I’m still alive!’

Suddenly his lady opened her eyes. He couldn’t believe it because she seemed to have lost a lot of blood. He was sure that she had died. She looked at him and smiled sweetly. She tried to say something but she was so weak that couldn’t utter a word. He felt both happy and terrified. He shouted for help and finally some old man appeared. Together they carried Juliet out of the tomb. The man let them stay at his home for a couple of weeks until Juliet felt better. After that they decided to move to Greece. Their families were convinced that they were both dead.

Now, as he recalled that day, he felt overwhelming joy and affection. At the same moment he heard a soft voice saying: ‘Good morning, my dearest!’ He turned round, looked into the eyes of his beloved, and replied: ‘Good morning, honey!’

‘Why are you looking at me like that? Is everything all right?’ she asked.

‘Yes, my Beautiful, everything is perfect! I love you very much! I fell in love with you the moment I saw you and I will love you FOREVER!!!’

‘Oh, darling...! Are you sure you’re well? You look pale! You are sick, aren’t you?!’

‘No, I’m fine, really! Don’t worry! I just... Do you know what happened exactly twenty years ago?’

‘Twenty years ago? Oh... yes! Of course! It’s today!’ Juliet exclaimed.

‘Hi, mum! Hi, dad!’ said David as he walked in his parents’ bedroom. ‘Why are you still in bed?! It’s eleven o’clock! You know, I’m taking Mary to Verona today. Our flight is at two, so we have to be off now. I just wanted to say: “Bye” to you!’

‘Verona??!!... Bye! Have a good time!’ said Juliet and smiled mysteriously.

ANNA KURZYNIEC

LOVE STORY WITHOUT A HAPPY ENDING

It was a beautiful July night. Juliet stood up and came to the window.

‘He should already be here. He is never late,’ she thought. She and her boyfriend Romeo had been together for over a year. They were in love, but they had to meet in secret, mainly at nights.

Juliet was fifteen years old. Her parents said that she was too young to have a boyfriend. Besides, when they met Romeo, he didn’t make a good impression on them. That’s why they forbade her to see him.

Romeo was eighteen years old. His father was the owner of a small company and he earned a lot of money. For a long time Mr Montecchi had been dreaming that his partner’s daughter would become a Romeo’s girlfriend one day. However, Romeo had different plans. His love for Juliet was so strong that there was nothing in the world that could discourage him.

Juliet came to the window once again. This time she saw him. Actually she didn’t see him, but his beautiful new car. After a while she opened the window carefully.

Juliet lived on the ground floor and whenever she wanted to see Romeo at night, she always came out through the window, because she didn’t want to wake up her parents.

This time, as always, Juliet jumped out of the window and came running to Romeo’s car. ‘Hi,’ she said and kissed him with tenderness.

‘Hi,’ he replied. ‘I’ve got an idea. Let’s go swimming in the lake nearby. What do you think about it?’

‘Yes, I’d love to,’ she said and got into his car.

Time they spent together passed quickly. After a few hours they had to say goodbye. Juliet came back home and went to bed.

She woke up late in the afternoon. The day was beautiful and peaceful. Everything seemed to be wonderful, but it was only the pretence. It wasn’t to be wonderful at all, but she hadn’t known it yet. She was looking forward to seeing Romeo again. Meeting with him was the only joy in her life. But she didn’t know that last night she had seen him for the last time. Her mother brought her bad news. When she came back from work, she came into the Juliet’s room to say ‘hello’. ‘Hello, darling,’ she said. ‘You will never believe what happened. Do you remember that boy called Romeo with whom you were going out? He died in a car accident last night. He left home at night and he didn’t come back. His parents called the police today in the morning. They found his smashed car not so long ago. I was right when I told you that you shouldn’t meet him. You could have been with him in this car. Oh my God, I can’t even think about it.’ But Juliet wasn’t listening to her mother any more. She ran out from home. She was running blindly. She didn’t know where she was going.

A few weeks later her corpse was found in the lake in which she had been swimming with Romeo that night when he died in a car accident. Romeo and Juliet’s love was too strong. They couldn’t live apart. But their parents couldn’t understand it. They understood it after that terrible tragedy, but then it was too late…

MARCIN JACIUK

DEADLY LOVE

Corgan Battleaxe woke up at midnight with an axe in his hand. He heard strange noises from the forest and he knew that he was in great danger, because they were made by an ugly, tall creature called a troll. The worst thing was that trolls have special ability – regeneration, so they can be harmed only by fire or acid. Though Corgan was alone, he still had a chance to survive a meeting with a troll. After all, dwarfs are known for their valour and courage, they don’t give up so easily. Next day Corgan entered his village with a troll’s head attached to his belt and a couple of wounds on his arms and legs. Corgan couldn’t wait till the meeting with his beloved, Fiona Goldhand, though he knew that it would get him into trouble, because civilized gold elves from Fiona’s family didn’t approve of her relationship with him, as no elf family on Faerün would. Corgan met Fiona that night, they spent it together, but unfortunately their “rendez-vous” was uncovered by Fiona’s brother. Fiona’s family decided that she should immediately marry an elf prince from a legendary elf island of Evermeet, Rin Da’Helzar. Fiona was desperate. Corgan was also forbidden to meet Fiona. Their separation lasted one horrible day. That day Corgan was hunting when he met a sword-spider, a hard opponent even for such an experienced warrior like Corgan. Fiona, a forest creature, usually spent her mornings in the forest. So she did that day, so she saw the fight between Corgan and a sword-spider, and when Corgan got injured by the spider she already knew that he would die because sword-spider’s poison is very strong. In her despair she had forgotten that dwarfs have inborn resistance to poison, so she committed suicide with Corgan’s axe. After a few days, when Corgan regained his consciousness and heard from his friend what Fiona had done, he decided to follow her footsteps and commit suicide in the same place as Fiona.

It is the story, my friend, in which I, great Volo took part, to tell to you, here in Waterdeep. Don’t thank me, you can buy me a beer, but hear my words once more. Some say that gods changed poor Corgan and Fiona into a star constellation on the sky.

But this is another story, my friend.....

MONIKA ŁUKASIK

ROMEO & JULIET

THE NEXT GENERATION

Melissa woke up with a terrible headache. She looked around in dismay. ‘What a mess’, she thought, as she hardly remembered what had happened the previous night.

Day in day out, her life looked the same; a headache, loud metal music on her stereo, thick smoke of cigarettes and the smell of alcohol which filled the room. She lived in a small flat, opposite a great fan of classical music – Gerard, whom she truly hated. They have always been fighting with each other. Gerard couldn’t stand metal while Melissa was sick of his pedantry.

That significant day she left home in rush. As always, while leaving she didn’t turn the music off. She came back late, drunk and almost unconscious. She was smoking a cigarette and singing some Iron Maiden song. That was too much for poor Gerard to stand. He started shouting at Melissa. In his fury he told her what he was thinking about her lifestyle and her attitude. Our heroine didn’t take it seriously for she was totally drunk. She opened her door and disappeared behind it. Resigned, Gerard came back to his flat. ‘What is wrong with that girl?’ he wondered. ‘Why can’t she change?’

That night a fire broke out at Melissa’s place. She had fallen asleep with a cigarette in her hand. Gerard saved her life and offered her his apartment to live in until Melissa’s flat renovation would have been finished.

The first few days were a nightmare for the girl; she couldn’t adapt herself to new, ‘perfect’ surroundings, yet, after a week everything was fine.

When redecoration was finished, Melissa wanted to repay Gerard for his hospitality and patience. To this end she invited her ‘saviour’ to the theatre! The play was ‘Romeo and Juliet’. When they were watching it, they both got goose bumps. It was a very strange experience for them: as if they were the main characters and lived that life before...

After the play they went to Melissa’s place. The door closed behind them and the only thing that could be heard was Metallica’s song:

‘So close, no matter how far

Couldn’t be much more from the heart

Forever trusting who we are

And nothing else matters...’

URSZULA ŻUREK

PROHIBITED LOVE

During the Prohibition times the cream of society enjoyed themselves at the parties organized by the head of the Lanchie family. Tonight the party was to celebrate the new deal successfully made by the boss. Among the guests were Christian Probone and Lucia Trevi, the kids of Lanchie’s two main associates. For several years their families had been fighting for the position in the Lanchie ‘clan’. At present, Probone was responsible for factory production, Trevi - for its protection.

Christian and Lucia had known each other for a long time and their love was getting stronger every day. The young couple were suffering because of their families’ hatred. Lanchie’s daughter, Paola, knew about her friends’ love and she helped them to meet in secret. One day, Paola suggested that they should come to the party, talk to her father and seek his advice.

This evening they were going to ask Lanchie himself for help. They knew that their families’ war was driving him mad. They hoped that he would take a chance to head off the dispute between their families. And indeed, he decided to help them. He invited Lucia to stay in his house for several days under the pretext of keeping his daughter company. He told Christian to hide in the library because there he would be safe and nobody would see him.